Hanna's

It is clear that the attitude of nature and our outlook on nature, has developed from historical content and primary documents to form the way we view nature today. The opinions that people have about nature are what they are because of history. Looking back to the creation stories, it is clear that the opinions of nature have been shaped over time. The creation stories give us an explanation as to why society and nature are the way they are. Over the years many people shared how they viewed nature. Although they were all vastly different, they eventually combined to form how we look at nature today. For example Cotton Mather thought that it was proper to maintain nature as if it were a garden. Cotton Mather was the middle ground of both extremes. Floyd Dominy represents one extreme because he is willing to nearly anything as long as it promotes progression of human civilization. On the other hand David Brower is a preservationist who thinks that humans are humiliating nature through placing dam's. Theese two extremes make it necessary for a middle ground. A place where someone can use nature to promote progression of humans without humiliating nature. Micheal Pollen and Coton Mather both promote views from a middle ground. Although Cotton Mather is from a different era, both extremes were still being represented in his time. Although Brower and Dominy cover two extremes there are many others out there. Fore example Thomas Jefferson was an extremist who viewed nature as only beauty. Thomas Jefferson was not the only one who cherished the land that made up America. In fact many did at this time, including Crevecoeur, Emerson, and Benjamin Franklin. Many people cherished the land of America because most people who came to America had been previously living in cramped, polluted, and dirty cities. Europe at this time was over crowded which caused people to see the true beauty in nature. Although many people saw this beauty, as Americas Industries sky rocketed many people lost focus on the beauty of nature and began to focus on making a profit. After all the American Dream was to become a member of an elite status, who had an enormous amount of money. Overall throughout many decades how people look at nature today, is a combination and product of how people have looked at nature in the deep past.

Where did we begin: Genesis and nature?

Genesis spoke about the creation of the world as if it was a simple task. God created the world in just 6 days, creating people in his own

image. It was clear that it was supposed to seem godly, for example creating a woman from a rib of another man. God shows that he made no mistakes, has no weakness, and made no errors. Although man and god still have a dispute, god is never proven wrong. Genesis makes it seem as if on the first try god created an almost perfect world with an existence of both good and evil. God is also put clearly above mankind and nature. Nature is made to look as if it only has one purpose and that is to work for humans. Nature is not shown enough appreciation as it should, for example the garden is only in existence so the man and woman can have food. Although in all of the stories man kind thrives off of nature, it is shown more appreciation. Nature is simply a provider of food and shelter to humans and is look at as a resource. Where as in the "Pima Creation Story" nature has a spirit and is shown respect.

Pima Creation Story

The "Pima Creation Story" has two main characters, the doctor and the buzzard. Throughout the story they made mistakes when trying to create the world. This puts god's perfection in Genesis in perspective. Each time he made a mistake in "Pima Creation Story" the doctor destroyed the world and everything on it, saving only himself and the buzzard. The story is more human like, because even though the doctor has the power to create the world from his sweat he still has flaws. The world is destroyed a total of three times. The first time was because people were killing other people and eating them, the second time was because all the people were turning grey. The third time was because everyone in the world was smoking, and the Fourth world he created is the world we have today. This story represents nature when they mention the importance of water and how at first they struggled to collect the water until there were mountains and valleys. Before these mountains and valleys all of the water would run off the mountains before anyone could have access to it. The Pima Creation Story is unique because in the other creation stories show no signs of mistakes. For example in the Iroquois Creation story the world continues to expand but never has to be re-created.


Iroquois Creation Story

This creation story begins by describing what it's like before the world is created. They describe a place where no land exists but there are people floating around in some kind of liquid. A sky woman is floating around pregnant and a turtle comes along and tells her to lay on him. Then they throw dirt on to the turtle to form land and the world is created. The world slowly gets bigger and bigger. Sky woman is pregnant with twin babies, one evil and one good. The babies begin to fight inside her and the evil one then tears out of her side. The good baby is born naturally but sky woman dies. The world is now referred to as the island because it has grown so large. The evil child and good child continue to fight because the good child wants to create light, representing Dominy. Where as the bad child wants to keep earth in its natural state, representing Brower. In this story nature is respected and is used for the maintenance of animal which are used for the maintenance of humans. Then sky woman's head is used to form the sun, and her body to create the moon. The world is now referred to as the great island. The idea that the world is continuously evolving into something greater and that can sustain more people is similar to the story of Cotton Mather. From Cotton Mather's point of view nature continuously evolves to for the ideal "harmonious community", which is what happened in this story. The turtle continued to grow into a larger island until it was comfortable for the the woman who is pregnant with twins.


Cotton Mather 1663

Cotton Mather was a preacher who attended Harvard and supported the puritan belief. Although he is in agreement with the beliefs of Puritans he recognizes the threat toward them. In the text on page 143 it says, "and what gives Mather's best writing its urgency is the sense that the Puritan community
as he knew it was fading away". The quote mentions Mather's urgency in his writing as one of his strengths because his writing was more forceful. In "The wonders of the Invisible World" Mather describes New England, "which were the devil's territories" but now has been overtaken by Puritans to form a colony(Mather 144). He describes colonies of man kind as a garden and the wilderness as the devil. This causes fight for territory between the devil and the colonies. Mather is convinced that the devil is getting back at the Puritans who took the devils land through the Salem Witch Trials. The Witch trials were occurring in many places adding to Mather's argument. Mather makes three main points supporting his argument, the first being the growing number of withes in many places. The second reason is the mischief caused by the witches and the third was that the witches were creating overtake Christianity, and form the devils religion. Mather sums up his argument by saying, "I report matters not as an advocate but as a Historian"(Mather 146). In the last sentence he said this to convey the message that he is trying to make factual points rather than writing an opinionated piece. A factual piece gives information rather than solely supporting one side.

Cotton Mather's view on nature is similar to Pollens prospective because they bother prefer a garden as to wilderness. Mather thinks that nature can be changed to fit and work better for humans because it is still nature. For example a house made a of wood is still nature because it has only been changed to suit humans in an ideal way, but not destroyed. He says, "transforming a wilderness into a garden and the ideal of a harmonious community that has been characterized time and time again as the American dream"(Mather 146). His views are similar to those who look at nature as a garden but not the same. His views also contain his religion and how his puritan beliefs affect his prospective on nature. Cotton Mather shapes nature through sharing how he himself looks at nature. To clarify Cotton Mather would consider a table part of nature because it was made from wood, whereas someone like Benjamin Franklin who supports the idea of a garden would not. A piece of wood that has been formed into a table has been manicured, cut, processed, and changed to fit in the most ideal way. A garden grows naturally it is neither manicured nor processed, rather maintained.

Benjamin Franklin: "The Way to Wealth" 1758


Benjamin Franklin wrote "The Way to Wealth" under the name of Poor Richard. Throughout the passage Poor Richard shares his words of wisdom that he has wrote in Almanacs. He was not praised for the almanacs he wrote, but as he said they did "produce me some pudding"(Franklin 220). In other word Poor Richard made him some money off of his clever sayings. Although he was not cherished for what he wrote he was frequently quoted. For example when Poor Richard was on his way to an auction he hears Father Abraham say " for a word to the wise is enough, and many words won't fill a bushel as Poor Richard says". This gives Poor Richard a sense of accomplishment, and is drawn toward the people conversing. He then shares some of his other pieces of advice. His advice shows his perspective on people, which is that they should work hard and prioritize things based on their importance. One saying that shows he is an advocate for diligence is "but dost though love life, then do not squander time for that's the stuff life's made of"(Franklin 221). Poor Richard is saying that people who cherish life should not waste time because time is what life is made up of. Another piece of advice he gives is that "when the well's dry, they know the worth of water" which can be applied to nature (Franklin 224). This quote shows the dependence people have on nature and that without it we would not be here. The value of nature is not truly appreciated by those who experience it every day, similarly to how that value of water is not appreciate until there is none. The final quote Poor Richard gives that truly sums up his works is that "we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct". This is a great saying that brings his words of wisdom to a a conclusion because after all the advice his has shared, one must still strive to achieve behavior because it can not be given as Poor Richard says. Benjamin Franklin wrote "The way to Wealth", and filled it with words of wisdom. Although it is not primarily about his views on nature, Benjamin Franklin was an enthusiastic observer of nature similar to Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson's Notes on Virginia 1781

I read Jefferson's notes on Virginia that pertained to the beauty of the rivers in America, and description of the mountains that he had seen in the

new world. Throughout the notes he does not praise America but never speaks about of its negative characteristics, only the beauty it upholds. Though Jefferson does not directly addresses his opinion on nature nor his opinion on the New World, it can be assumed that he favored America. Based on the descriptive language he uses we can assume his position. One example of his language is "The passage of the Patowmac through the Blue ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature"(A Notice on its mountains Jefferson). Prior to thishe describes the Potomac in detail, using imagery to create a vivid picture in the readers mind. In the passage about rivers Jefferson lists the major rivers on the coast and describes how they can be used and the size of the ships that can use the river without getting stuck. At the time this would have been of tremendous use because many boats carried cargo and immigrants but, if they got stuck it would cause an unbelievable amount of strain on the people. It would be so difficult because they would have to find a way to transport their cargo from the boat across the river to land. The comparisons that can be made to Jefferson's Notes on Virginia are through there supernatural and mysterious aspect. At this time the sights Jefferson would have been seeing would have seemed as an absolute mystery for people had been crowded living in Europe while a magnificent piece of land was uninhabited. This caused many immigrants from this era to be eager to explore and observe the land and what it had to offer. The way people cherished nature at this time shaped people's views on nature.

Crevecoeur: Letters From an American Farmer 1782

In the "Letters From an American Farmer" Crevecoeur praises America. He says "the American ought therefore to love this country much better than that wherein either he or his forefathers were born" ( Crevecour 313). This quote shows how he favors America and that he cherishes it as to the land in which the many immigrants came from. Crevecoeur also shows that he praises nature because he compares men to plants instead of putting plants below humans. He says "men are like plants; the goodness and flavor of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow" (Crevecoeur 313). He compares the way in which humans are affected by the land to the way fruit is affected by the land. He also states the differences between the way the land was treated in Europe to how the was treated in America at the time. He states "in Europe they were as so many useless plants, wanting vegetative mold and refreshing showers; they withered, and were mowed down by want, hunger, and war"(Crevecoeur 312). To clarify he is describing the extensive use of plants that eventually took a toll on them. Between the wars that were fought on them, and the enormous amount of people that they had to provide for, they were eventually worn down to nothing. Where as in America,what was said to be the "New World", was not inhabited by such a large number of people. Therefore each person could depend on a greater piece of land to product the same amount of produce. People fighting and traveling would also not make nearly the impact the people did in Europe. Crevecoeur goes on to say "but now by the power of transplantation, like all other plants they have taken root and flourished!" (Crevecoeur 312). In other words now that the plants have inhabited a new environment they are flourishing off of the rich soil. Although Crevecoeur respected nature, as did many, thousands of Americans did not respect Native Americans. At this time Crevecoeur had a typical view on nature, whereas the Native Americans looked at nature as if it was more than simply land to live on. Some people would say the Native Americans lived uncivilized lives, when really the Native Americans just had unordinary beliefs.

Benjamin Franklin: "Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America" 1784


According to Benjamin Franklin the Native Americans are savages because there manors differ from those of a typical American. He says "savages we call them, because their manors differ from ours" (Franklin 226). He makes the argument that they are different but have good in them. For example "The Politeness of these savages in conversation is indeed carried to excess" meaning that they are extremely polite when conversing. Although it may seem as if Franklin is against the Native American culture he was actually for it. Throughout the piece he speaks about there admirable characteristics. One example is when he says "Having frequent occasions to hold public councils, they have acquired great order and decency in conducting them" (Franklin 227). Many people thought that they acted uncivilized and were not organized, but that belief was based off of the little knowledge they knew about Native American culture. They also had rules of politeness, one being "not to answer a public proposition the same day that it is made" (Franklin 227). Although an american may consider this rule rude, a their culture should still be respected. We as Americans tend to think that the way we do something is without a doubt the best. We think we are the the most polite, wealthy, and proper, when we are truly ignorant. We are ignorant toward cultures that may behave in different ways because we lack knowledge of many things that are not directly related to us. Benjamin Franklin compares the way a stranger is welcomed in Native American cabins, to the way a stranger is we

lcomed in a white man's house in Albany. He says "we all treat him as I treat you; we dry him if he is wet, we warm him if he is cold, we give him meat and drink, that he may allay his thirst and hunger; and we spread soft furs for him to rest and sleep on; we demand nothing in return.", describing the Native Americans (Franklin 230). This quote supports that Native Americans are polite and welcoming all while "demanding nothing in return". Where as Franklin says, " if I go into a white man's house at Albany, and ask for victuals and drink, they say, 'where is your money?' and if I have none, they say, 'Get out you Indian dog'" (Franklin 230). It is clear that the Native Americans show far more consideration and manors.

Nature maintains such a high level of peace because there are no judgmental figures or standards to live up to. In nature there is no shame in being different because you will be looked at as unique. In our society if you are different it is looked down upon, we have standards to live up to and are expected to act courteous to others. We look at people of different cultures as if they are crazy, when really people should be praised not ridiculed for standing out and choosing to act in the way they want. Nature grows in harmony although based on the climate nature does uphold some standards too. For example a palm tree is not meant to live in Colorado. The difference between humans and nature is that nature praises diversity, whether its from palm trees on the beach or black bears on snowy mountains. Without various climates, and various species of trees, and animals our environment would bland and
repetitive. Looking at the way people view nature on a spectrum, the views and beliefs of the Native Americans would be one extreme. The Native Americans live, completely coexisting with nature. The Native Americans do so little harm to nature when compared to the typical American. This extreme brings forth a new attitude that yet again shapes how society views nature. Although many people disagreed with the Native Americans, some people such as Franklin supported the Native Americans. At this time many Americans would have looked at the Native Americans as they looked at Rip Van Winkle.


Irving - Rip and Legend and Scooby Doo 1819

Rip Van Winkle lives with his wife and kids in a village described as "Universally Proper". He was always willing to help out with others, but struggled
to take care of himself and his family. Rip was "a simple good natured fellow" but "was ready to attend to any body's business but his own (456,457). The way Rip lived came to affect his family because his children "were as ragged and wild as if they belonged to nobody" (457). His actions caused his wife to continuously nag him, "dinning in his ears about his idleness". Although Rip's wife complains of his laziness she is also lethargic does little to help the situation. One day he goes exploring in the mountains and runs into a knome, who gives him strong liquor. He sleeps for such an extensive period that when he awakens the barrel of his gun is rusted. Rip returns to the village to find that his family no longer lives in the house that has caved in. This is relative to Scooby Doo because of the supernatural behavior and mystery. In Scooby Doo the mystery is who the headless horseman is and the story behind it. They know that the headless horseman lost his head during the revolutionary war when he was hit by a cannon ball. Where as in Rip Van Winkle the mystery is how the knome appeared in the woods to give the liquor to Rip Van Winkle. It is bizarre how the knome meets Rip Van Winkle just exploring in the woods when the knome was never mentioned before. The supernatural character in the episode of Scooby Doo is the Headless Horseman because for one he was shot by a cannon and is living without a head. The second reason is because he has been living since the Revolutionary War. Although nature is used in unrealistic ways like using a pumpkin as a head, it is respected by the characters. In both stories nature is portrayed as a complete mystery and as if nature has supernatural powers. These legends about nature cause people to be curious as to whether the series of events are true or simply a story. True or False these stories of nature tough people great lessons. In Rip Van Winkle people learn that living a carelessly can cause you to loose everything, in this case his family.


Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Nature and Commodity" 1836

He was a puritan man who believed that people should have an original relationship with god, one that is not passed down or handed to them. Emerson knows that Puritans originally had a first hand relationship with god. One of his reasons for having a relationship directly with god is because he thinks there is no question that god cannot answer therefore all questions that humans have should be directed towards god. He makes the point that nature exists and nature is one of gods creations, therefore god must exist. Emerson says, "all other men and my own body, must be ranked under this name, nature". Although he states they were all created by god but he does not share the belief of gesesis does that nature is simply a resource. He categorizes men under the category of nature, which is very different in comparison to Genesis. The other reason for holding a personal relationship with god is that in the past people communicated frequently with god. The puritan people mainly populated the North East of America, creating villages. He says "in any case, Boston was no longer a Puritan stronghold" ( Emerson 789). He stresses the idea that Boston has lost its ways and that people there no longer share the same relationships with god as they did many years ago. Looking at the Title it is clear that one of Emerson's views on nature was as a commodity. Many Americans used the land and nature to make money and earn a living. Emerson also thought nature could be useful because of its beauty and the discipline nature requires of people. Many farmers realize that farming is a tough business, many people even end up loosing their land. This lesson of discipline is taught to many including Jim and Huck, as they travel down an unpredictable river.
Nature in Huckleberry Finn 1884

The flood was the first significant impact nature played in Huckleberry Fin. The flood carried the stranded canoe to Huck, and provided him with a way to run from his drunk father that was beating him. The river and canoe also provide Huck and Jim with a free and useful way to travel. The river is an easy way to travel at night quietly and secretly, which is a very significant considering Jim is a runaway slave and cannot be seen. Not only can Jim not be seen, but Huck also must be careful for he faked his own death and people are looking for him. Nature is the key to Jim and Huck's freedom and without it they would be forced to travel on foot with no protection. The trees are the only thing that would protect them from being seen which is again part of nature.

Nature is vital to their journey because it is clear how they enjoy the time on the raft. Huck and Jim enjoy traveling along the river. Huck and Jim say, "there warn’t no home like a raft, after all". He goes on to say, "you feel mighty free easy and comfortable on a raft". Huck appreciates his raft and the river because it calms Huck down as he enjoys the slow ride along the river. The river provides Huck and Jim with a perfect environment to become friends. It is just two men simply floating down a river. There are no other distractions and they have no one else, which is why Huck and Jim become so close of friends. Huck is easy going and learns from nature, even though the journey does face some uneasiness. One example of a a harsh time that Huck faced was when he caused a snake to bite his only friend. Although there is a severe consequence this is still a good lesson that Huck learned from. Nature has taught Huck to stop playing pranks on Jim and has forced Huck to act in a more mature way. The first lesson he learned was from the snake biting Jim and the second was when he played a trick on Jim after the being lost in the fog. Huck told Jim that they had never been lost and that it was all a dream. By the time Huck had completely humiliated Jim twice. Jim drove the point home and Huck learned from nature that his friendship was more important than playing jokes.

Nature has also taught Huck how to survive independently. Nature has put Huck in situations where he must survive on his own. For example when he was separated from Jim, and the thick fog made it nearly impossible to find Jim. Although nature has taught Huck how to survive on his own, nature has also brought Huck and Jim together. Along this incredible journey Huck and Jim have become great friends under extraordinary circumstances considering Huck is a 13 year old white boy and Jim is a black runaway slave. Traveling down the river for days connects Jim and Huck and gives them plenty of time to become friends. Their experience with nature is unforgettable and clearly significantly impacted both of their lives. The creation of this book not only impacts the way in which Huck and Jim live, but how society lives. An enormous amount of people have read the book "Huckleberry Finn" and are inspired by these two characters who manage to survive using merely nothing. They are both resourceful, but by the end of their journey they have grown, matured, and become humble free men.


The Transition From a Rural Jungle to an Urban Jungle

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published in 1884. "Maggie a Girl of The Streets" took place in 1893. A dramatic transition took place during the gap between when these two books were written. In "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" it is clear that nature has a strong presence in the book. Nature in Huckleberry Finn serves as the theme of the "jungle", where as in "Maggie a Girl of The Streets" the theme of the "jungle" is represented in the city. Thereby these two stories show a dramatic transition from a rural jungle to an urban jungle.

Maggie a Girl of The Streets 1893

The urban wilderness is a clear theme in "Maggie a Girl of The Streets". One can assume that the book takes place in a city by simply observing the title. In the first chapter of the book it is clear that Bowery, New York, where the book takes place, is similar to a jungle because of the scrappy fight that took place. The narrator states "On their small, convulsed faces there shone the grins of true assassins. As they charged they threw stones and cursed in shrill chorus." This quote shows how the city itself and the people within the city are similar to the wilderness and people who live in the wild. The act of throwing stones at another human is barbaric and uncivilized, and shows similarities to some of the actions taken in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The book is set in an urban wilderness, and is only suitable for certain people. For example not all people can survive in the city, similarly to how some people are not fit to live in the wilderness. The city forces people to act violently and aggressively in order for them to survive. In "Maggie a Girl of the Streets" some characters show that they are capable of living in the city. Although the city is an uncivilized place some character such as Maggie still look and act civilized. Maggie, a beautiful young woman, lived in a harsh city, but continued to work hard and put her issues aside. Maggie stood out because she was not like the majority of the people who lived Bowery, New York. Not only did Maggie grow up in a tough city but also in a stressful family that had many problems. A woman asks, " Eh, Gawd, child, what is it this time? Is yer fader beatin yer mudder, or yer mudder beatin yer fader?". The fact that the woman asked Tommie that shows how their family life was rough and violent actions weren't unusual.
Later in the book Maggie gets continuously rejected by her family. Maggie is already frustrated when she asked pete "where kin I go" and he told her "oh, go teh hell". At this point Maggie is sick and tired of being rejected, and feels as if she is lost and confused in a jungle alone. No one is there to help her so she decided to wonder aimlessly, having no where to go. Wondering the city as a beautiful woman at night and along is begging for trouble. Maggie does not return and is expected to be dead. The theme of roughness and violence in the book supports the idea that the book is set in an Urban Wilderness.

Chicago World's Fair 1893

The worlds fair took over Chicago, consuming over 600 acres, and entertained around 27 million people in six months. The construction of the Chicago World's Fair included completely changing the format of the land, creating canals and lagoons, and constructed 200 new buildings all in two years. The rapid construction and number of workers caused a great amount of chaos and could be looked at as an Urban Jungle. Not only did this contraction have to take place so rapidly but it also had to be done spending a limited amount of money. The managers of the Chicago World's Fair still expected to turn a profit. Much like in an actual jungle the fair was full of risks, and this was one of the greatest. It was such a great risk because people had invested in the fair so that it could be built, but if the fair did not make enough income with in six months the investors would not be reimbursed. The Fair was also similar to the jungle because the fair was made up of thousands of different elements between the food, drinks, inventions, canals, rides, and other attractions. The wild is made up of thousands of different things that all depend on each other. For example the animals that live in the trees completely depend on the trees to provide them with a place to live. This is similar to the Fair because so many attractions were dependent on others and often failed because of it. For example the building where the machinery was held was dependent upon the building to provide a quiet place for people to view the inventions but, it held in the noise and was not able to support the machines. Throughout the building process of The Chicago World's Fair, nature was disrupted because of the extremely short time frame workers had to construct a enormous fair. Workers and architects had no time to waste to consider land and how changing the landscape would affect habitats of animals. The Chicago World's Fair shows how peoples views and ways of life had changed. Looking back to Thomas Jefferson it is clear how peoples views had evolved. Thomas Jefferson saw the beauty of the land as it was and could spend days simply exploring and writing about it. Most people in the 1890's were not concerned with nature and its beauty, rather with society and the beauty of enormous houses, an elite status, or simply wealth. People lost focus with what they had originally fell in love with when they first came to America. The "Great Gatsby" also demonstrates how people became obsessed with money, possessions, and their status.

How does "The Great Gatsby" fit in to the course: American Land? 1925

"The Great Gatsby" fits into the course description because it gives the reader a strong idea of what the the roaring 1920's were like. This fits into a course focused on American Land because it clearly shows affected people. The book clearly demonstrates the difference between the East Coast and West Coast. The book takes place on the East Coast where mainly people are considered to be made up of "old money". The comparison between East and West Coast makes the West look less civilized and simply as farming land. The Great Gatsby also fits into the course of American Land because it shows the personalities of people based on where they live. There are enormous differences is personalities between the Valley of Ashes, West Egg, and East Egg. The Valley of Ashes shows how the industrial era affected the land. The air and land surrounding the Valley of Ashes is very dirty and dark because of all of the factories. The Valley of Ashes is completely separate from the beautiful mentions that the wealthy characters live in. East Egg is filled with people made up of "Old Money". Tom, Daisy, and Jordan all live on East Egg and act as if they live the perfect life. Gatsby lives on West Egg where most of the houses are rented during the summer for vacation. This shows what a strong impact different pieces of american land can have on people. In this book where you are from plays a very strong role in how wealthy the characters are. For example Myrtle is from The Valley of Ashes and is looked upon as if she is very poor. Tom and Daisy are from east egg which is an area full of wealthy families. This plays a strong role on the book because people are looked down upon if they are poor. The characters are extremely judgmental and are fond of gossiping. The east egg forms an elite group while people like Myrtle are always striving to fit in. In other words Tom and Daisy are living the "American Dream" where as Myrtle is always jealous of there carefree lifestyle. At this time land played a huge factor in the "American Dream". For example it is clear George and Myrtle were not living the American Dream although they were married and living in a house. Daisey and Tom clearly represented the ideal "American Dream" because they lived in a beautiful home, were married, and had a child. There lifestyle looked perfect from the outside, but when looking over the finer details it is clear there were some major problems. Their was little importance of nature in the lives of the characters from "The Great Gatsby". In the book people are focused solely on how other people perceive them. This spoiled attitude has a huge impact on the way people view nature. This spoiled attitude comes from the way people acted during the 20's. The economy flourished at this time and people's primary concern became the amount of profit they could turn off of the stock market. This spoiled attitude caries over to how people view nature, which at this time was with little respect. Emerson thought nature could be used to teach discipline, but in order to actually learn the lesson people must actually spend time in nature. At this time it seemed to be almost un-heard of. People began to be careless toward our environment and the industrial era is something we are still recovering from today.


View expressed in Encounters as it relates to use and preservation: 1971

Our society should treat nature with respect, conserving it for future generations. We should make an effort to avoid destroying habitats and killing entire species. David Brower is an extreme believer in the conservation nature, and Floyd Dominy may be a strong supporter of changing nature to benefit man, Micheal Pollen is a great example of a compromise between the two. Micheal Pollen believes that we should be respective to nature while using it in our favor when we can. For example he says" we do best in nature when we imitate her, " this shows favoritism toward nature (The Idea of a Garden, 195). The quote shows Pollen's perspective because he suggests we should imitate nature while not being an extreme advocate. Creating a dam and killing all the fish because of the destruction of their habitats would be an example of how we choose not to "imitate nature". Our society should support Pollen's ideas and beliefs because he creates an ideal situation, between Brower and Dominy. Dominy's extreme is "to do and save what is good but to permit man to progress in civilization" (The River, 173). Where as Brower's opinion is that nature especially rivers should be left alone, he says "Humiliating nature, a dam is evil--placed and solid" (The River 159). Brower and Dominy views are a few examples of why we should support Pollen's ideas. Our society currently does not conserve enough of what it should. Like Micheal pollen mentions "Americans have done an admirable job of drawing lines around certain sacred areas and a terrible job of managing the rest of our land" (The Idea of a Garden 188). Pollen is saying that although we may have strict regulations about what goes on in our national parks, we lack rules to regulate what our society does outside our parks. Without these rules and regulations we are carelessly destroying nature at an incredibly fast pace. Our understanding of nature is that it will grow back and that scientist could re-create it. When truthfully they will never be able to re-create something exactly the way it was. Our concern with nature is not nearly what is should be. Our understanding of nature shows our lack of knowledge on the situation. Throughout the story Dominy and Brower fail to compromise on a view that represents middle ground, but Pollan's outlook on nature is happy medium between the two.






<Floyd Dominy Standingin front of theHoover Dam


David Brower Preservationist>






Article by Pollan "The Idea of a Garden" offering a middle ground?: 1971

The middle ground expressed in "The Idea of a Garden" represents what I would call an ideal world. Dominy represents one extreme, fighting for the benefit of humans regardless of what it does to our environment. On the other end is Brower; he is fighting to keep nature in its natural state. Michael Pollen, the author of "The Idea of a Garden", has found a clear middle ground between both extremes. The dilemma of the story is caused by a tornado hitting Cathedral Pines, which "was one of the oldest stands of white pine in New England, the trees untouched sense about 1800"(Pollan 176). The dispute between the towns people was what to do with the lot of fallen trees. One side fights to have the fallen trees utilized and then replant new trees while another group of people strive to have the trees left alone. There is a clear representation of Brower's views from the people who want to leave the lot alone. Dominy would most likely argue that the land should be made more accessible so that more people can enjoy it. The middle ground in this case, proposed by Micheal Pollan, would be to help nature along while showing it respect. Michael Pollan believes that the trees that have already fallen should be used beneficially, but new trees should be planted, restoring the forest. His views on how to treat the land are similar to how people would treat a garden. A garden can be maintained and nurtured by humans but is still nature. Looking back to when we considered nature simply a source of food, our views have changed drastically. One at that time would not question of whether to cut or not to cut down a tree. At that time Genesis was created there were a great amount of trees and far fewer humans, but that does not change the fact that we have grown respect for nature over time.





How does Koyaanisqatsi fit into the course: American Land? 1982

The film Koyaanisqatsi ties into American land because of how it contrasts urban land, suburban land, and cities. The scenes from the Urban land were absolutely still besides for the clouds. The still camera displaying a time lapse showed the clouds filling with moisture and moving across the mountain tops. The suburban land was also still and unpopulated aside from how it was filmed. The farm was filmed from a fast moving air plane flying extremely low. This again made it appear as if a time lapse was taking place because of how fast the camera was moving. The farm land that was shown to represent the urban land was beautiful and full of bright colored flowers. The flowers and scenes from the urban land gave the reader a since of beauty that was apart from society. The city was above all the most different because of how populated and completely filled it was. The sidewalks were constantly packed with people commuting through the dirty streets. Even though there were scenes of abounded buildings the fast passed music still gave the impression of a busy city. Not only does it highlight the vast differences in the landscapes in america, but it shows differences of the same location over time. The film makes it appear as if everything in the city is moving so rapidly no one is focusing on that moment, only what is to come. Where as the time lapse of the still desert can highlight its beauty because over time one can observe its movements. Koyaanisqatsi also displays strong differences through the sounds and different musical instrument that are used to bring life to the film. The fast, loud music demonstrates how thousands of people act in a dirty city. The music and scenes together provided a strong description even though no description was actually given in words. The reader had to interpret how the scenes of the city made them feel in comparison to the scenes of nature. Overall in the movie it is clear that the beauty of nature is far superiors to the beauty among the crowded city.

Current View of Nature and Its Use in Today's Society:

I would define nature as something that exists without the interference of mankind. For example a river would be considered nature, but a dam would not because it was mankind's interference that put that dam in place. Also the flooding of a river to create a lake wouldn't be nature because it was an effect of the dam that was put in place. Nature includes many living things but also non-living things such as mountains, although those mountains are home to many plants and animals. Nature plays a strong role in every human being's life because without nature we would cease to exist. Without trees there would be no oxygen to breathe. Nature also provides a great range of entertainment, such as hiking, skiing, boating, and surfing. Rain naturally irrigates many fields, leaving less work for the farmer to do. Without water we would not be able to grow foods or to feed cattle. In today's society nature is generally regarded as what is untouched. It is what we have not destroyed or tampered with. Today people destroy nature at an unbelievably fast pace, using up resources without considering future generations. Some of the nature we destroy we will never be able to get back, but other things such as trees can be grown back. The species that have gone extinct are something we will never be able to get back or re-create. Even if we could re-create a species it would no longer be nature because it was tampered with by mankind. We should not be interfering with animals' lives so much that we are killing entire species. Nature is something our society needs to prioritize. People tend to have very different thoughts when it comes to nature which can frequently cause arguments. One major dispute arose between Brower, a man fond of nature, and Dominy, a man who believes nature is simply a resource for humans.


Walk Around Campus present

The walk around campus was refreshing as opposed to sitting inside a stuffy room for
another 50 minute class. I was tired and bored before we stepped outside. We picked a beautiful day to walk around campus and visited some places I had never been. My favorite place we went to was the apple trees near the cross country trail. I have walked by there so many times but never truly looked at the trees like we did that day. After the walk the fresh air and sunlight made me feel more awake and alert for class. Although it was nice to step outside into a piece of nature we truly experienced nature when we went on the hike at Cowans Gap State Park.



Hiking Day Trip present

Hiking through the Buchanan State Forest was an excellent way to spend a day, rather than sitting in a stuffy classrooms for 8 hours. When I arrived in the dinning hall I was tired after waking up at 6:45 for basketball practice. I was hungry and I wanted to go back to bed. Taking a step out into the brisk air woke me up even though it was silent. The fresh air and wind made us all cold as we stood still waiting to begin the hike. We begin by taking a downhill trail all was going smoothly until we run into the wet and puddled land. Many people including myself soaked their shoes. I was reminded of the imperfect atmosphere of nature even though we were on a trail not everything was maintained. I would not define where we were as nature because of the closeness to society and to a road. Most nature I would describe would be tough to access, where you may not see peo

ple for days, where you may feel uncomfortable. At this time in the hike most people were calm after all we were only ten minutes away from the van. As the day progressed we seemed to worked our way deeper into Cowans Gap State Park, getting closer to real nature. The peak of the trip, where I felt the presence of Nature was the strongest was at the overlook. The overlook had such an essence of nature because you could see little human impact on such a magnificent piece of land. Also the little impact the land had faced was not harmful it simply blended together and did not negatively affect the view. This may seem to contradict my previous statement about the trail contradicting nature, but the way in which humans affect the nature truly matters. After the overlook again I could feel the presence of human, this time strengthening as we worked our way back to the vans. Prior to taking the day to hike though the state park, I did not think that nature could be defined by what it causes someone to feel. To clarify it is not just the location that depicts whether you are in nature, it is the feelings you have. When I am in nature I feel awake, calm, and microscopic in comparison to my surroundings. Then is nature any place that causes me to feel this way? For me nature is a place that is uninhabited by humans and where I feel awake, calm and a part of a larger picture.


Poll Statistics

Would you consider yourself fond of nature or the wilderness?
1) No
2) No
3) No
4)Yes
5)No
6)Yes
If you had the choice to life in the city or the country which would you choose?
1)Country
2)City
3)City
4)Country
5)Country
6)City

How do you make an effort to reduce your carbon footprint and pollution?
1) What is a carbon footprint?
2) I walk or bike to work everyday instead of driving. I also recycle to reduce the amount I throw away.
3) I try to drive less. I am a vegetarian. I also tend to use public transportation that the city provides.
4) I recycle at home and always turn my lights off when I am not in the room.
5) At home I don't have air conditioning which helps a lot because it reduces the amount of electricity we use.
6) I recycle, but thats about it.

Do you believe in global warming? Why or Why not?
1) Yes. It makes since. We learned about it in science class. I do believe in it.
2) No. Because 10 years ago there was an article about Global Cooling. The earth's temperature is on a cycle and currently is at the upward point.
3) No. I think we need to consider the weather patterns on a larger scale yet still be mindful of our pollution and harmful emissions.
4) Yes. Statistics show that the world has been getting warmer.
5) Yes. The ice caps have been melting which were reflecting the sun's rays.
6) Yes. There seems to be more proof proving that it exists than does not.

Who do you think should be in charge of the global pollution problems?
1) The president
2) The government and privately funded programs. The government should implement more strict regulations regarding pollution and car emissions.
3) The government. People should also take it among themselves to reduce their personal carbon footprint.
4) The U.S. government. Also programs between other countries
5) I don't think more power should be placed in the hands of companies responsible for pollution's such as garbage companies or car companies. They need to place higher restrictions on their products.
6) The government.
If you were president what would you change that would affect the environment?
1) I would make more National Parks
2) I would strengthen the restrictions placed on renewable energy sources and car emission restrictions.
3) I would increase the amount of recycling programs that exist, to make it easier for people to recycle.
4) Probably change how much litter is on this earth. Maybe by increasing community service programs to help trash be collected and properly disposed of.
5) I would make a lot more windmill farms and give tax relief to those who build homes or office buildings that are eco friendly.
6) I would start drilling more oil in the United States and push to buy less oil from foreign countries.
Considering all the problems in the world would you consider pollution among the top 10?
1) Yes
2) No
3) No
4) No
5) Yes
6) No
In the future do you think you will become more or less careful of how you treat the environment?
1) I think I will be more careful. Cars can go farther with less gas and more people will hear about the problem.
2) Less. I am becoming really busy with work and my family and try to be careful but often find myself not considering how my actions affect the environment.
3)I think i will become more engaged in the problem. I don't have to pay for my gas right now, but when I do I think I will become even more aware of how valuable oil is.
4) I think I will become more after I graduate college and am living on my own I will have to focus more and stop relying on my parents to take care of everything.
5) More mindful. I already am environmentally conscious and plan to do something in my life that has to do with the environment.
6) I am really not sure. I hope I become more mindful, but it can be costly and time consuming which are things I might not be able to spare.